The Demons of London Bridge
by NobodyGirl003
Summary: Matthew Crimson is a young noble with a demon butler named Sterling Thorn. He helps others solve crimes with the aid of his butler and is highly respected, but what will become of the duo when Matthew is assumed to be dead and Sterling is convicted of crimes she didn't commit?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hey guys! I got the idea for this fanfic a long time ago, but I never seriously started working at it until earlier this week, so I hope you all enjoy!

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><p><em><strong>Sterling's POV<strong>_

I walked down the quiet hall as sunlight began to illuminate the large mansion around me. The morning's sun was just beginning to rise and I was heading over to my master's room to wake him up. I was the female butler of one of London's most prestige nobles, Matthew Crimson, and primary caretaker and, as some called me, "guardian" of the Crimson Estate. Never in my life would I have thought that the title of "guardian" would suit me, but I guess that was what was expected of a loyal servant. I mean, I would sit up on the roof of the mansion to keep a vigil on the property. I had actually just came in from outside. Sure, it was hard sitting on a rooftop during a frigid winter night, but I had something important to protect, something that I would guard with my life. My master.

I continued walking down the hallway as the faint sound of my heels clicking on the floor echoed throughout the otherwise silent building. I had become oblivious to the frost on my shoulders by then and I didn't even feel so much as a little chill. That was one of the good things about being a demon, I suppose. You were always burning with a hellish fire on the inside. I stopped walking when I noticed a mirror hanging on the wall. I stared at my reflection, taking note of all of the visual flaws I had that morning.

I brushed the melting ice off of my shoulders and examined my dark brown hair, which was a bit of a mess with a strand straying off here or there. The collar of my white shirt wasn't as neat as normal; one side of it was flipped upward and the other was still down. Snow from outside had melted and left damp patches on my tailcoat and the pendant that was pinned above my right breast was slightly askew.

I pulled a comb out of my pocket and started to smooth my relatively thin hair down a little. I would perfect it later with a brush since it reached halfway down my back and it would be a pain to fix with just a comb. I then tugged at the collar of my shirt, bending it into its normal style with it folded. I examined the wet spots on my tailcoat a little closer as I pulled my black vest down a little lower and tugged on my black gloves. I realized that they were no need for concern and went on to fix my pendant, which was a red rose with a green stem and small thorns. I looked back at my reflection with emerald green eyes and gave a charismatic smile before moving the leather collar that was around my neck just a little.

My name is Sterling Thorn, the female butler of Matthew Crimson. An odd name, I know, but my master and I both liked it. That was my identity in high society. Of course, I wasn't the only servant my master had. There were two other young ladies that worked alongside me. Amber Carver and Yasmine Linnet. We were the three servants of the Crimson Estate.

I tugged the rim of my black boots and pulled my matching pants up a little higher on my waist before continuing my walk up the hall, approaching the staircase that lead up to my master's room.

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><p><em><strong>Matthew's POV<strong>_

I felt my consciousness return to me as I awoke under the warm covers of my bed. I could hear the sound of a familiar woman's heels tapping on the carpet as she walked across the room. I felt sunlight dance on my eyelids as I was forced to awaken.

"Good morning, my young lord." I opened my eyes and found myself watching my butler, Sterling Thorn, tie back the blinds that were covering the window with a ribbon.

"Good morning, Sterling." She looked over her shoulder and smiled. I noticed that she was wearing the leather collar that I had gotten her as a joke when she first became my servant. I sat up and watched for a moment as she tied back the other blinds. I then began our usual morning routine. "What's my schedule for today?" I asked.

"Jonathan and Sylvia from the Regal Manor are coming over today," Sterling reported. "Sylvia said that Jonathan was assigned a new case from Queen Victoria and they wanted to ask for your help."

"What is the case about?"

"It seems to be involved with the black market and human trafficking, I'm afraid." I nearly shivered as a chill ran down my spine. I was at a loss for words to say. Sterling noticed my silence and turned around.

"Master, are you alright?" she asked, faking a clueless expression.

"Yes," I replied, still a little shaken. "I'm fine, thank you. What's for breakfast this morning?"

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><p><em><strong>Sterling's POV<strong>_

I walked into the kitchen as the smell of breakfast pastries and boiling tea filled my nostrils. It was an unusually busy morning at the Crimson Estate since Amber, Yasmine, and I had more people to feed than ourselves and our young master. I watched as Amber dashed past me with a hot tea kettle. I then realized that she was about to spill it.

"Amber, no—!" I quickly dashed after her and swiped the kettle from her hands, placing it in the sink as it poured down the drain. She paused as I heaved a sigh.

"Dang it!" she cried. "Now I have to make more."

"It's alright," I reassured her. "We have plenty of time. That tea was probably a bit too strong for the Young Master's taste anyway, so I'll help you make more." I looked up at the clock on the wall and realized that we were running late. I let out a groan as I began to rush toward a table that had been pushed off to the side. "Amber, clean out that kettle while I go and put the food on the dining table."

"Yes ma'am," she replied with a nod. I picked up two silver platters and carefully balanced one on each hand as I proceeded into the dining room through some swinging doors. Matt was sitting alone at the table, staring up at a nearby clock. I quickly gained his attention when I walked into the room.

"My apologizes for taking so long. Here is your breakfast, Master." He was silent as I placed the shining platters on the table, starting with the one in front of him. I was still holding the second one when I noticed that he was looking down at his lap. "Young Master?" There was no reply. I was about to start asking him a questions about what was wrong when I heard a knock at the door. "Oh, that must be the guests," I smiled. "I'll go let them in." I placed the last platter at the other end of the table and walked around it, heading toward a door into a long stretch of hallway leading to the front doors. When I opened the doors, I saw two familiar faces waiting to come inside from the cold.

"Good morning," I greeted them with a smile. "It's nice to see that you made it here, Jonathan and Sylvia." Jonathan, a boy that was a little bit older than my master, smiled and walked through the door as his caretaker, Sylvia, glared at me. My master and I had been acquainted with them for years, so I always called them by their first names. They had actually told us to, but Sylvia never liked me. I mean, how could a demon and an angle get along? After I took their coats and hung them by the door, I began leading them down the hallway, even though they already knew where they were going.

"The young master should be waiting in the dining room. If you'll please excuse me, I have some more work to attend to." We reached the end of the hallway we walked into the dining room.

"Master, Jonathan and Sylvia are here," I reported as I walked quickly toward the other end of the room.

"Thank you, Sterling." I nodded and pushed through the doors so I could walk into the kitchen. Yasmine and Amber were quickly working on something for dessert as I rushed to start boiling tea. I quickly began to roll up my sleeves.

"How are you doing with the pie?" I asked as I sped over to the sink.

"It's turning out great," Amber chimed.

"It should be done in a couple of minutes," Yasmine added.

"We don't really have much time," I reminded them. "The guests are already here." I poured water into the kettle and, without setting it on the stove, began to make it boil. Heating things up was one of my best talents as a demon, but my master was the only one who knew what I really was. Whenever I made tea, I would leave Yasmine and Amber wondering how I heated up the water so fast.

I retrieved a tea box from the cabinet above my head and a teaspoon from a nearby drawer. I quickly scooped up some of the powder from the box and dropped it into the silver kettle, only administering as much as what was needed, and let it sit. I tugged at my black gloves and stepped toward the two young women near the oven.

"How much longer now?" I asked.

"It should be about done now," Yasmine replied. She opened the oven and was about to grab her oven mitts when I stopped her.

"I can take care of this." I fearlessly reached into the still hot oven and grabbed onto the metal pan, the only thing protecting my hands being my thin gloves and without any protection on my arms. The two watched in amazement as I placed the pan on the counter without even flinching. I then dashed toward the tea kettle, grabbing a silver tray on the way, and grabbed two matching cups. I placed them on the tray along with the kettle and rushed out of the room.

"I'll leave the rest up to you two."

"Yes, ma'am!" My persona transformed from an amazing leader to an obedient butler in the few milliseconds that it took for me to enter the dining room.

"The tea is ready." I walked over to Jonathan first and poured some in his cup before setting it down in front of him. I repeated the same course of action with my master's tea as Sylvia stared at me. She seemed emotionless enough, but I could almost feel sense the odium she felt for me. I sneered back at her because her hatred didn't bother me in the slightest. I then looked down at my master.

His short, brown hair was neat and combed and his face was clear of any blemishes. He was wearing a pair of black pants with black leather shoes and red shirt that was buttoned almost the whole way up. He always left the button at his collar unbuttoned. Along with that, there was a black tied around his neck. He seemed very civilized for a child of only thirteen years of age.

"Is it true that this case involves the black market?" he asked. There was a serious tone in his voice, but I knew he was frightened of the answer that he knew was going to come.

"Unfortunately, yes," Jonathan answered with a sigh. "There have been a string of reports of missing people here in London. The victims seem to be mostly young women." Sylvia walked over to me and handed me a folder. "You don't have to look at the pictures if you don't want, Matthew. If you want, your butler can just look at them for you." Matthew glared at the boy and then looked up at me. He seemed somewhat determined.

"Sterling, give me that folder," he commanded.

"Yes, my young master." I handed him the folder and he opened it. I watched the expression on his face completely shift from determination to pure disgust. His eyes were wide and his mouth was agape. I knew that if he didn't stop looking at the gruesome pictures, he would most likely become sick. He closed the folder and pushed it away. He put his hand over his eyes and started to shake.

"Are you sure that these are involving human trafficking?" he asked once again.

"We've exhausted all of our other leads. More and more victims are showing up every day." The brunette beside me quickly jumped up from his seat.

"Please excuse me," he said, loud and clear. "I have to go to the washroom for a moment." And with that, he sped off. I looked from the door my master had walked through to our guests.

"You know that there will be a very slim chance of my master wanting to help you on this case, right?" Jonathan nodded.

"I saw the gleam in his eyes before he looked at those pictures," he said with a snide tone in his voice. "He'll help us, one way or another."

"Is that a threat?" I asked. I felt like growling at him, but I had to restrain myself. They were guests after all.

"No, no not even in the slightest!" Jonathan cried. I knew he was lying.

"If you'll please excuse me, I must check up on my master. I have a feeling that his well-being is at stake." I turned and walked toward the door. Once I was out of the room, I rushed over to the bathroom. I knocked on the door.

"Master, are you alright in there?" I asked. I had tried to calm myself, but I sounded frantic anyway. I heard him gag and throw up as I waited for a reply.

"Yes, I'm fine," he called. "Go bring our guests the dessert and tell them that I will be back in a moment."

"You aren't going to accept this case, are you?" I asked. He was silent for a moment.

"Just go serve them some pie. We'll discuss this later." I began walking away from the door, slightly worried about the events that were to come next.

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><p><em><strong>Matthew's POV<strong>_

I sat on the bed as Sterling untied to ribbons to the blinds. It had been a long, tiring day, but I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to sleep. The pictures that were in the folder were haunting me. After I had gotten back from the bathroom, Jonathan asked if I would help him with the case, but I said that I still needed a while to think about it and reach a decision. They left without even taking a slice of pie, so I let sterling share it with Yasmine and Amber. Sterling finished untying the ribbons and walked over to stand in front of me, holding a lit candlestick.

"Master, are you alright?" she asked.

"I don't know," I admitted with a sigh.

"You're scared about the case, aren't you?" Everything was silent as the butler waited for a reply.

"Yeah . . . I guess I am." She smiled at me a little and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry," she reassured me. "I won't let anything happen to you. I shall stay by your side forever." That made me feel a little bit better, but it didn't take all of the anxiety away.

"Thank you Sterling. That will be all." She began walking toward the door and opened it to reveal a dark hallway.

"Goodnight, my young master." And with that, she left the room, leaving me all alone in the dark.

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><p><em><strong>Sterling's POV<strong>_

I stood outside of the door, holding a candlestick in one hand and holding my side with the other. Ever since the day I had become a demon, I had a hunger for human souls. I had never eaten a soul before, but I craved them, and my hunger was only intensifying as time went on. I gripped my side a little tighter as I felt the emptiness inside of me grow little by little.

"I've been eating, but human food doesn't suffice my hunger," I sighed, talking to myself. "I need to find a soul to eat before I wither away." I stood up a little straight and began walking down the hallway as I began to worry for Matthew's safety. Would he really be safe around a hungry demon like me?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Hey guys! I decided to finish up the second chapter! Oh, and I'd like to give a little shout out to Adine Arts. I hope you feel better! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

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><p><em><strong>Sterling's POV<strong>_

I watched the brunette as he stared out the window beside him. The scenery outside passed by quickly as our stagecoach rattled down the bumpy road. Matthew and I were heading into the city for some business, but we still had a long way to go until we arrived at our destination. I relaxed and let my back sink into my seat a little as my young master looked at me.

"Do you think Jonathan and Sylvia will be there?" he asked. I shook my head.

"I'm not sure." Just then, we heard the horses outside of the stagecoach scream, followed by Amber's shrill voice.

"Watch out!" I lunged for Matthew and, in a split second, all of the glass windows shattered and the sound of gunfire filled the air. He screamed as I held his head down and gripped a couple of smoking bullets in the palm of my hand. I dropped them to the floor and they clattered together, making little clinking sounds when one hit another.

"Keep your head down," I ordered. I threw the door, which was to my right side, open and grabbed onto the upper sill of the doorway. I pulled myself up and flipped onto the roof. Kneeling on top of the rocking carriage, I found myself surrounded by four men that I had never seen before.

I can dispose of these pests, I reassured myself. I stood up, keeping myself balanced, as the men aimed their guns at me.

"We just want the boy," one of them shouted. I grinned, revealing a slightly sharpened canine tooth.

"I'm sorry, but you can't have him." Their guns all began to spit fire as bullets sped toward me. I swiftly caught them all in the palm of my right hand. The men stared in awe when I showed them the ammunition.

"There's no way she's human!" I then heard Amber scream again.

"Sterling!" I turned my head to see another man hanging onto a metal bar behind her and standing on the small space on her footrest, aiming a gun at her face. I flicked a bullet at the man and it pierced straight into his forehead. I laughed a little as he leaned to the side and fell to the ground. I was about to release the rest of the bullets when the Stagecoach took sharp turn. I managed to maintain my balance, but a few of the men weren't so lucky; two of them fell off, one of them getting their legs crushed by the carriage.

The vehicle began to turn onto its right side, so I quickly released the bullets. The remaining men fell off of the vehicle and I turned toward Amber. I swung my arm around her small waist and yanked her toward the broken window beside Matthew. I stepped on the glass on the window that hadn't broken off yet, eliciting a scream from the boy inside before I grabbed onto his sleeve. I managed to pull him out of the window, careful not to cut him, and jumped off. I landed lightly on my feet and smiled proudly. The three of us watched as the carriage slammed onto its right side and slid against the ground before it stopped.

I felt Amber grip my arm as I still held onto Matthew. They were both in complete shock. I put Matthew's hand in Amber's and looked into the young woman's brown eyes.

"Amber, go ahead with the young master and see if you can get help."

"Y-yes ma'am!" The brunette did as she was told and began running off further down the road with our young master beside her. I moved my head slightly to the other side and saw the only man that was still able to move stand up in the corner of my eyes. He pulled a gun out off of his belt and aimed its barrel straight at me. I turned my head to look at him fully and give him a polite smile.

"Please, put the gun down," I requested. "If you don't, I'm afraid things won't end very well on your behalf."

"Y-you aren't human. Your a monster!"

"So what if I am? What could a mere human do?" He was silent as I closed my eyes and turned away.

_Young Master, may I eat his soul? Just his?_

_ If you are desperate enough to eat the soul of a dirty gunman, go ahead._ I opened my eyes again and they seemed to burn with a mix of neon and emerald green and my irises became slitted similar to a cat's. I ran my tongue along the edge of my sharpened teeth as I stared at the man. He began to shake as he held his gun with both hands.

"Stay back!" he shouted. "I will shoot!"

"Bullets won't hurt me." I dashed toward him and the sound of a gunshot rung in my ears, but it was too late. His soul was already mine for the taking.

I placed the stake that had been prepared for my young master on a pristine white plate as I talked to Yasmine and Amber about the events that had taken place earlier that day.

"I've never seen the young master so scared," Amber remarked, seeming surprised. "I'm sure Sterling has, but I haven't." I instantly remembered a time where he was absolutely horrified, and he was looking straight at me. I cringed at the memory and lifted up my hand to cover my face, letting half of the plate fall slightly and clatter against the counter top. Both Amber and Yasmine turned their attention to me.

"Are you okay?" Yasmine asked.

"Yes, I'm just fine," I replied, my eyebrow slightly twitching as I felt as though my nerves were exploding within me. "I'll go bring the young master his dinner." I quickly rushed out of the room, trying my hardest to not slam the door behind me.

_**Matthew's POV**_

I sat in the hot water as I leaned back and rested the crook of my neck against the porcelain tub's edge. It had been a very eventful day, to say the least. I was still getting over the incident that happened earlier. I still had no idea why all of those men attacked us; Sterling wouldn't tell me. She must have known that I was stressed, though, because she told me to take a long, warm bath to help calm myself. I had to admit, it was working very well.

I felt my muscles relax and the hot water flowing from the faucet lap at my arms. The tub was really deep, so the water was almost reaching up to my upper arms. There were also foaming bubbles covering the surface of the water, and a couple of candles that gave off a sweet smell. I began to wonder why I hadn't thought of doing that before as I shut off the faucet, but my thoughts were interrupted when I heard a knock at the door nearby.

"Young Master, I brought you some dessert," Sterling's muffled voice announced on the other side. "May I come in?"

"Yes." The white door creaked open and a small cart wheeled into the room. A couple of small dishes, a small tea kettle, a couple of tea cups, and a platter with a silver dome-like lid over it shuddered as the cart rattled slightly on the floor. The ride became smoother when Sterling walked into the room, flashing me a smile.

"Why are there so many dishes?" I asked.

"I have brought you a lot of sweets," Sterling replied simply.

"Very well." She lifted up the sparkling lid, revealing a red velvet cake and many other sweets, such as squares of caramel and chocolate-covered fruits that I could identify as strawberries and cherries. She then grabbed one of the cups and poured some tea into it.

"Would you like a cup of tea, sir?" Sterling asked.

"Yes." She handed me the cup and a small dish to place it on. She rolled the cart closer to me and I noticed that there was also a golden bell at it's edge.

"If you need anything, just ring the bell. Amber, Yasmine, or I will come to your aid."

"Okay." And with that, she left. I took a sip of my tea and grabbed one of the strawberries. I took a bite out of it as I began to wonder what my butler was planning.

_**Sterling's POV**_

"Yes," I said, speaking into a phone connected to the wall. "Yes, I'll bring him over tomorrow . . . Thank you so much for your time . . . Farewell." I placed the phone back onto the wall and smiled. I began to walk down the hallway toward my master's room. I knocked on the door once again.

"Young Master, may I come in?"

"Yes." I opened the door to see Matthew sitting on his bed, wearing a white shirt and black pants that fit loosely around his small frame.

"I have good news," I reported. "There is another young noble in the area that requested to meet you as soon as possible."

"Really?" I nodded.

"It seems you have become quite popular lately. I told them I would discuss a time with you-"

"Can we go tomorrow?" Matthew asked eagerly. He seemed very excited.

"If you wish. Shall I set the date for tomorrow afternoon?"

"Yes!" I began walking back toward the door as Matthew crawled under the covers of his bed.

"Get plenty of rest, Young Master. You have a long day ahead of you." He nodded and dismissed me. I quickly returned to the dining room where Amber and Yasmine were waiting for me. They were sitting at the table, their own slices of chocolate cake in front of them. The cake was accompanied by some warm tea, which had just been boiled in the kitchen.

"So, did it work?" Amber asked. I walked over to an empty seat and sat down. There was a dessert and cup waiting for me there.

"Yes, the plan was a success. The master is really excited about meeting that other boy. He even said for me to schedule for tomorrow."

"Wow. He got over that wreck this morning really fast," Yasmine remarked.

"He's been in worse accidents before," I said with a sigh. "Trust me. I've been by his side through all of them. I hope he sleeps well tonight. It's hard to rest when there are so many people out to get you." I lifted my cup and took a sip of my tea as a puzzled expression spread out over Amber's face.

"Sterling, why does he hate cases involving human trafficking?" she asked. "I mean, I've seen him go over a lot of cases, but the ones that seem to rattle him the most involve human trafficking and kidnapped children." I stopped drinking and remove the brim of my cup from my lips. I stared at the young woman for a moment before I returned to my senses. I felt my emotions darken as I looked down at my lap.

"If I tell you two, do you promise not to tell a single soul?"

"Yes," Amber and Yasmine agreed in unison. I looked up at them.

"Well, it all started when he was nine years old," I started. "He was walking around a city with his older sister, Scarlet Crimson. They were going back to Scarlet's home when they decided to take a shortcut through an alleyway. After they went into the alley, a man pulled a gun on them and another robbed them. He shot Scarlet when she was protecting him."

"That must have traumatized him."

"Oh, there's more. After he returned to his parents, he was planning of committing suicide because he was very close to his sister and couldn't come to grips with the fact that she was gone. When he arrived back at his parent's estate, the same men that killed Scarlet broke into the house. They managed to kill all of the servants and shot his parents right in front of him. Within just a month, he had witnessed the three most important people in his life perish. The men were going to sell him on the black market, but I saved him."

"Did you know the Crimsons?" Amber asked. I thought for a moment.

"I guess you could say that. I knew them since the day I was born, so I grew up with them all. It was a tragedy."

"Well, how did you save him?" Yasmine asked. I stood up and turned toward the door, ready to leave.

"I'll save that tale for another time."

"Tell us please!" Amber pleaded, getting up and following me. I was reaching for the door when she grabbed my arm. "Please!" Just then, the clock rung out the hour, showing that it was already ten o'clock.

"You two should get some rest as well," I warned, ignoring Amber's pleases. "We all have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow." I slipped out of the young woman's grasp and sped into the hallway, shutting to door before she could catch me.

For the remainder of the night, I kept watch up on the roof. I was determined to keep Matthew safe. I would do anything to ensure his safety. I failed to protect him once before, and I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.


End file.
